Cambodian American Experiences

Empowering Teachers to Serve Cambodian American Communities

About the Course

The Cambodian American Experience course is designed to support K-12 teachers to learn about the experiences and contributions of Cambodian people in the United States. Nearly 350,000 Cambodian Americans live in the United States and over half reportedly have less than a high school education. Moreover, only 6.9 percent of Cambodians in the U.S. have earned a 4 year degree, far below the national average of 24 percent. U.S. educators routinely come into contact with Cambodian American children. Given the group’s challenges, this course aims to increase K-12 teachers’ knowledge and ability for serving this unique community. Overall, this course provides ways that teachers can better engage multicultural learners through culturally relevant materials and pedagogy.

Meet the Instructor

Vichet Chhuon, Ph.D.

I earned a PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara in culture and teaching. My  research has broadly focused on the experiences of immigrant youth and students of color to understand how school institutions might better help them realize their promise. For example, some of my work has focused on the academic and ethnic identities of Cambodian-American students. My other writing has examined how notions of belonging and being known matter for young people’s identities and relationships with teachers and other significant adults in school.

Currently, I am interested in how immigrants and families navigate immigration policies, school systems, and other opportunity structures in pursuit of meaningful lives in the United States and abroad.

Ger Thao, Ph.D.

I am a Program Specialist for the Orange County Department of Education supporting a Southeast Asian Model Curriculum Project (spearheading the Hmong History and Cultural Studies Model Curriculum Project). I also serve as the Language and Culture Specialist / NRC Director for the Center for Southeast Asian Studies for the Carrying Culture Curriculum Development Project. I love teaching, learning and finding new ways to engage with students and support teachers. I am also passionate about cross cultural exchange, cultural competency and working with diverse populations. 

I earned a Ph.D., in Education with a Curriculum Studies Specialization from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and MA in Education: Curriculum & Instruction, and a B.A. in Liberal Studies/Multiple Subject Teaching Credential all from California State University, Chico. I authored a bilingual children’s book titled “The Hmong Journey: Hmoob Txoj Kev Taug.” Moving to Honolulu and living at the East-West Center for graduate school allowed me to not only immerse myself in the multilingual multicultural community there but also to network with leaders and make friends from all over the Asia Pacific region. 

In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my family which includes 8 siblings, 11 nieces, and 10 nephews. My hobbies include reading, hiking, and food adventures. Born in Thailand, but I pretty much grew up in northern California.